Info on blanks for gunfire training?

[EddieF]

Winnie is in heat now, will be spayed in early September, and then we are going to concentrate on birds again. I need to introduce her to gunfire, once I do that, as long as it's done right and she is not gun shy, I think I'll be well on my way to being able to hunt with her.

A while back I got those .38 inserts that you can put in a .38 revolver, then the inserts hold the shotgun primers. Well they are about ten times louder than I expected, probably because of the exposed nature of the revolver cylinder.

But now I have a Ruger MKIII semi-auto .22, and I'm wondering if I can use that as a blank gun by just getting .22 blanks. But those won't feed in a semi-auto, will they?

Maybe I should get .22 shorts and use them in my S&W .22 revolver, do you think those would be quieter than the shotshell primers described above? I just don't want the first shot to be way louder than I want it to be, I may not have the luxury of just firing from a greater distance to insure it's not too loud.

[postoakshorthairs]

I assume she's around a year old? I expose my dogs before then but what I have used, and seen used, for an entry is a cap gun...like the toy cowboy pistols at the farm stores with the red caps. They're louder than you think but not to the level of the blank pistols. I always make sure birds are involved when shooting. Let her chase a bird that you flush and shoot when she's a distance away concentrating on the bird. Than you can work your way up. I know some guys start with a long gun from the beginning. JMO

[EddieF]

I assume she's around a year old? I expose my dogs before then but what I have used, and seen used, for an entry is a cap gun...like the toy cowboy pistols at the farm stores with the red caps. They're louder than you think but not to the level of the blank pistols. I always make sure birds are involved when shooting. Let her chase a bird that you flush and shoot when she's a distance away concentrating on the bird. Than you can work your way up. I know some guys start with a long gun from the beginning. JMO

Excellent, thank you. Yes, she turned a year old last week.

She is not tolerant of heat at all, and at the end of spring we were moving and busy with that so I just stopped bird work for the summer. Now I'll wait until after her spay operation to start in again.

What you described is my basic plan. She doesn't have a lot of experience but she does hunt, find and point birds. She'll hold a point for a time, but if it takes me too long to get there she'll flush it herself and chase it. So I think it should be easy enough to get her really excited about chasing a bird for me to fire a cap gun.

[lvrgsp]

I would use your .22 S&W and go to a home depot or a lowes and get the remington blanks for the nail guns contractors use. There cheap and easy to find. There are 4 different colors I do believe, they are Brown, Green, yellow, Red, and I am pretty sure that in that order they are quietest to loudest, starting with brown and going up. Now the bad side is they leave a little more residue sometimes, which would mean more cleaning. or get the .22 crimps, there real quiet. More importantly would be the timing in introducing the gunfire, as was previously stated.
Good luck,
Chip

[EddieF]

I'm unaware of the nail gun blanks, I'll look into that, thanks. Because the gun shops I frequent do not have any blanks, I'd have to order them online.

[postoakshorthairs]

they're usually kept with the actuated concrete guns. Explain that to them and they'll know what your talking about. They're made in different loads to compensate for different concrete nail lengths...so you need the ones for the smallest nails.

[EddieF]

they're usually kept with the actuated concrete guns. Explain that to them and they'll know what your talking about. They're made in different loads to compensate for different concrete nail lengths...so you need the ones for the smallest nails.

And they'll go right in my revolver, no problem?

[postoakshorthairs]

should. I haven't done so but if Chip's saying so I believe it.

[lvrgsp]

Here's my .22 and they slide right in and slide right out, not a problem, I don't see why your Smith would'nt be the same. But you never know.
Beside it is the green box of Remington .22 concrete gun loads, that I am currently using.

[Wagonmaster]

There are three of four levels of those concrete gun blanks. When I was buying them, there were greens, yellows, and reds, green being the mildest. Use the green. In fact, I am sensitive to the loss of hearing caused by gunfire, having lost some of my own, and having had good hunting dogs that can't hear much when they get up in their teens. So I would suggest that you use the CB caps, also called crimps or acorns. They are little things (.22 caliber), but there is really no need for a big noise out of a blank gun unless you are running in a field trial and the rules require it. When you fire, hold the gun behind you - the side away from the dog - that helps keep the sharp sound level down. The full bore .22's or .32's are just too loud, and hard on the ears, yours and the dog's. Save the dog's ears for hunting.

[EddieF]

There are three of four levels of those concrete gun blanks. When I was buying them, there were greens, yellows, and reds, green being the mildest. Use the green. In fact, I am sensitive to the loss of hearing caused by gunfire, having lost some of my own, and having had good hunting dogs that can't hear much when they get up in their teens. So I would suggest that you use the CB caps, also called crimps or acorns. They are little things (.22 caliber), but there is really no need for a big noise out of a blank gun unless you are running in a field trial and the rules require it. When you fire, hold the gun behind you - the side away from the dog - that helps keep the sharp sound level down. The full bore .22's or .32's are just too loud, and hard on the ears, yours and the dog's. Save the dog's ears for hunting.

So those crimps or acorns, the revolver's great for those too, right? I mean, length of the shell is not important in the revolver, so that should work I would think.

[lvrgsp]

I would think the Acorns would work. John the Brown box is the quietest that I have come across, I think they are the number 2, the greens are number 3 yellows are 4. Let us know how it works out.

Chip

[EddieF]

I would think the Acorns would work. John the Brown box is the quietest that I have come across, I think they are the number 2, the greens are number 3 yellows are 4. Let us know how it works out.

Chip

Well I think the concrete ones in the lightest grade will be worth trying first because I can get them easily. Otherwise I'll wait till I place an order with Cabelas or something with the Acorns. But it'll be a couple months before I need them anyway. Thanks for the input and I will update this thread when I have something to report.

[RayGubernat]

EddieF -

Ditto on what Wagonmaster said. Whatver blank you use(I like the 6mm acorns myself) point the gun either up and in the opposite direction from the dog or down into the ground, again pointing in an opposite direction from the dog. I kinda like shootin into the ground with my body between the gun and the dog. I think it deadens the sound a good deal.

RayG

[EddieF]

Will do, Ray. I stopped at Home Depot on my way home and picked up some of the brown packaged .22 blanks for the concrete gun thing. Scale from 1 to 5, there were none rated 1 but the brown was rated 2 (5 being the most powerful). Didn't get a chance to try them tonight but I am really curious about them. They were really cheap too, I think just over $5 for 100 if I remember correctly, but I got a bunch of other stuff too.

[EddieF]

Thanks for the idea on the nail gun blanks! For less than six bucks for 100, I like these a lot. I think these are MUCH quieter than the primer inserts I tried in my .38. I think these, from a distance and/or muffled a bit (behind me, toward the ground, etc.), will work just fine.

[birddogger]

You have gotten great advise here so far. I have just never used blanks and have never had a problem. I have always just introduced them with a 20 ga. at a reasonable distance and of course when they were chasing a bird or birds and having fun.

I understand your concern though. You sure wouldn't want to make a mistake with this little treasure!

Charlie